For Kids To Live A Better Life, Teach Them Self-Control

If you have the first-hand experience in raising kids, you would agree with me that toddlers do not have the patience for anything.

Once they want something, they want it now! Self-control is a virtue that every child should learn while growing up. This is because kids who learn to wait, tend to live better lives as adults.

You cannot teach patience as a one-off lesson rather it requires patience too. Lol, you need the patience to teach patience to your kids.

In an interesting study from New Zealand observed kids from birth to age 32, they found that kids with the lowest self-control grew up to have more health problems, lower income, prone to substance abuse, and have a criminal record while kids who showed self-control at the age of 5 grow into successful and healthy adults.

So how do you help your child develop this all-important life skill?

First, you need to understand that children do not like to wait and they would do anything to make you give them now.

Don’t be moved to concede on your stance for something. For example, your child demands more sweet and he has had some already, don’t give in to pleas for more.

Say no and delay the timing of responding to their request.

Play games that help to paint the picture of patience before reward or you set a goal that requires patience and self-discipline, then you reward them for accomplishing the task.

Talk to your child about occasions where she has to exercise self-control in a simple way like waiting or getting mummy’s approval before taking or eating something given to her by someone else.

For other children, you can ask them to ask themselves what their older self would say if they did what they were requesting for. This makes them think deeply about their request

As a parent, you are responsible to provide the necessary guidelines your child needs to take on the world. Please share with us your strategy for instilling self-control in your kids.